BRISTOL, R.I. — The Roger Williams University Baseball team fell in both games of a nonconference doubleheader against Hartford on Saturday afternoon at Paolino Field. The Hawks dropped the opener 9–6 in nine innings before falling 13–2 in the seven-inning second game.
Game One – Hartford 9, RWU 6
Roger Williams struck first in the bottom of the third inning.
Noah Hester (Old Saybrook, Conn.) singled and later scored when
Will Florio (San Jose,, Calif.) drove an RBI single up the middle.
Braden Ventura (Swansea, Mass.) followed with a double to center field, bringing Florio home and giving the Hawks an early 2–0 lead.
Hartford answered in the fifth inning when Zaynn Godbee launched a two-run home run to tie the game at 2–2. The Hawks briefly kept the game close, but Hartford pushed ahead with a three-run sixth inning highlighted by a solo home run from Nico DiGioia and an RBI double from Alek Popovich.
The Hawks mounted their biggest rally in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded,
Jack Tubman (Bellingham, Mass.) drew an RBI walk before
Nick Dimaso (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) delivered a two-run single to left.
Casey DeLorenzo (East Greenwich, R.I.) followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8–6. However, Hartford added an insurance run in the eighth and held off the Hawks the rest of the way to secure the win.
Ventura finished with a double, RBI, and run scored, while DeLorenzo recorded two hits and an RBI. Florio also drove in a run as Roger Williams collected eight hits in the contest.
Game Two – Hartford 13, RWU 2
The Hawks grabbed an early lead in the second inning of the nightcap. Ventura doubled down the line and later scored on an RBI fielder's choice from Tubman to put Roger Williams ahead 1–0.
Hartford responded with a five-run third inning, stringing together five hits to take a 5–1 lead. The Hawks managed another run in the sixth inning when
Devin Driscoll (Portsmouth, N.H.) scored after Ventura worked a bases-loaded walk to trim the deficit to 10–2.
The Hawks were unable to slow Hartford's offense as the visitors added five runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh, highlighted by a Grand Slam from Jeremy Mangiameli and a two-run homer from Cameron Boardman.
Driscoll led Roger Williams at the plate with three hits, while Ventura added a double and an RBI. Tubman also drove in a run for the Hawks.
Roger Williams (8-11, 2-4 CNE) will host Endicott on Tuesday, Apr. 7 at 3:30 p.m. ahead of traveling to Gordon for a DH on Saturday, Apr. 11.
